


Marks

by GoringWriting



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Gwaine Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Gwen Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), M/M, Merlin - Freeform, Polyamory, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:35:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25500712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoringWriting/pseuds/GoringWriting
Summary: What happens when Merlin overhears a conversation between Arthur and the Knights about their soulmarks.
Relationships: Elyan/Merlin (Merlin), Gwaine/Merlin (Merlin), Knights of the Round Table/Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Lancelot/Merlin (Merlin), Leon/Merlin (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Percival (Merlin)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 751





	Marks

"Could it be Merlin?" Merlin hears Elyan ask when he comes back from getting water in the stream. He immediately ducks into the bushes. Waiting to find out if what could be him.

"The wings, you mean?" Percival asks.

"Yes. I mean it's not Gwen, and I pray it's not Gaius and everyone else who was at the roundtable are all soulmates. Merlin's the only unknown," Elyan says.

"It would make sense. Merlin trusts us enough to keep him safe on these trips because he doesn't have a sword. Soulmates are supposed to have that inherent trust," Lancelot says.

"And he did act odd when he saw my marks," Gwaine says.

"Why was he able to see your chest Gwaine?" Arthur asks.

"I may have woken up shirtless in his bed the morning I saved your life in that tavern. My back will remember that bed for centuries," Gwaine says.

"Yes, his bed is rather lumpy," Lancelot says.

"When the bloody hell did you sleep in his bed?" Arthur demands.

"I saved his life. Got injured, and woke up in his bed," Lancelot says.

"That's not fair. None of us have woken up in his bed," Elyan says.

"Trust me you'd rather he wake up in yours. That bed is uncomfortable," Gwaine says.

"So, wings? How do we know that's his?" Leon asks.

"Well, obviously the crest is Arthur. The Lance is Lancelot and the Forge is Elyan. That leaves the wings, the wall, the lion, and the sword. Now we know Merlin probably isn't the sword and I am the best swordsman here. So it's probably me. The Lion is probably Leon because of his name and his bravery. So that leaves the wings and the wall..." Elyan says.

"And I think we can all agree that I am not the wings," Percival says.

"Plus Merlin is a type of bird, hence the wings," Lancelot says.

"Well he's seen the marks on both Gwaine and myself. Why wouldn't he say anything?" 

"Because you're the King...well crown prince at the time. It is improper for a servant and any nobility to be together," Leon says.

"When has improper ever been a concern of Merlin's? The man calls me, the king, a prat at least once a day," Arthur says.

"Well...Uther probably would have killed him or sent him to the dungeons or banished him if he found out," Leon says.

"So...should we ask him? I mean he did see Gwaine's and never pursued anything," Elyan says.

"To be fair a couple of days later I did get banished. Plus we were trying to save the Princess' life so we were a bit busy."

"But what about when you were leaving? Surely Merlin would have said something or gone with you," Elyan says.

"He tried to convince me to stay and I tried to convince him to come with me. But we both had reasons we couldn't. He probably didn't want to make the parting worse by admitting that we were soulmates."

"What about when you two were in the perilous lands?" Arthur asks. Merlin figures he's being vague to prevent the men from knowing he got help on his quest.

"I told him that he was my best friend...my only friend. That my being there was for him and him only." 

"And when we became knights?"

"Well we were a little busy fighting against immortal soldiers," Gwaine says.

"Which Merlin defeated," Lancelot mutters.

"What!" Several voices say at once.

"Merlin figured out that if you emptied the blood from the cup of life the army would disappear. So, he and I snuck into the throne room to get rid of the blood. I fought the soldiers and Merlin knocked aside the cup."

"That's a good lad!" Gwaine says.

"Merlin really did all that but won't confirm he's the wings?" Arthur asks.

"This is different Arthur. Wounds from an army heal. Emotional wounds take far longer," Lancelot says.

"Does he think we don't want him? He's out soulmate of course we want him!" Elyan says.

"There's a difference between wanting Merlin and wanting our soulmate. Merlin deserves to be wanted because he's himself not because he's the wings in our frankly ridiculously big soulmark." 

"Right. We shouldn't want Merlin because he's our soulmate. We should want him because he genuinely cares about other people," Gwaine says.

"Because we know if it comes down to it he'll be there right beside us no matter what happens," Leon says.

"Because he gives all of himself to the people he loves," Lancelot says.

"Because his smile can light up a bad day," Percival says.

"Because he's always there to make us the better versions of ourselves," Elyan says.

"Because he's an idiot," Arthur says in a fond tone. 

"Because we love Merlin. Not the general idea of our soulmate," Lancelot says. 

Merlin is having trouble catching his breath. That's everything he's ever wanted to hear. Everything he ever wanted in life. But how can he when he's keeping an enormous secret from them. When he hasn't given his whole self to them.

"You'd think with the magic he'd be better at knowing how we feel," Arthur says.

"What! You know!" Lancelot asks echoing the thoughts running through Merlin's head.

"I don't get knocked out as much as he thinks I do," Leon says.

"And I spend most hours a day with him. No one could get my bath that hot. The more important question is you know?" Arthur says.

"Uh...yes. He enchanted the lance I used. I overheard," Lancelot says.

"He literally didn't bat an eye as about four plates flew into a bunch of ruffians," Gwaine says.

"Gwen told me," Elyan says.

"How does she know?"

"She was awake when he healed our father."

"He's well known in druid camp," Percival says.

"Could the magic be what's keeping him away? Maybe he's afraid we won't want him because of the magic or not telling us?"

"That's a likely reason."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you!" Merlin says stumbling into the camp. He can't take it anymore. He has to say something.

He drops to his knees crying softly and is immediately taken into the arms of his six...SIX! soulmates.

It's nice.

**Author's Note:**

> So for my next fic I'm either going to do a teacher AU or one of those fics where they each own a shop in the same street. Which do you think is better?
> 
> Also follow me on Tumblr at hotforcaptaincold to see more of my thoughts on Merlin. You can also make fic requests there.


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